Emma Chamberlain appeared to shut down hopes of a Sister Squad comeback after a fan questioned her outside James Charles's beauty pop-up in New York City, with the influencer reportedly asking, 'Do I look like Santa Claus?' The exchange took place during a New York event for Charles's cosmetics brand Painted, held from 9 to 11 October 2026.
The Chamberlain Coffee founder was interviewing people in queues around the city when she unexpectedly arrived at Charles's event. One fan recognised her as a former member of the Sister Squad, the YouTube group she formed in 2018 with Charles and twin brothers Ethan and Grayson Dolan.
The fan shared footage of their encounter on Sunday, 11 October, describing her determination to ask about the former group. Chamberlain's appearance initially made her suspect a reunion was being arranged, although no other Sister Squad members appeared in the clip.
Chamberlain Accidentally Finds James Charles's Pop-Up
Emma Chamberlain spotted interviewing people at some pop-ups events in SoHo, New York. pic.twitter.com/HkVjaLUHks
— Emma Chamberlain Access (@EmmaAccess) October 11, 2026
Chamberlain explained that she was examining different queues around the city to investigate what people were lining up for. The fan asked whether she knew the Sister Squad, prompting a brief pause before Chamberlain answered, 'Yes.' The fan then revealed that the line was for Charles's Painted beauty pop-up.
The SoHo event offered access to Painted products, including an early opportunity to purchase mascara. Visitors were also offered a free burgundy makeup sponge, while early mascara quantities were limited. Chamberlain's encounter with the queue appeared spontaneous, and the videos did not show her meeting Charles
In a follow-up TikTok, the fan said other people in the queue did not appear to recognise Chamberlain. She recalled the influencer laughing at the Sister Squad reference, briefly stepping away and then returning. 'No way!' was Chamberlain's surprised response, according to the fan's account.
A Fan Asks Where the Dolan Twins Are
crazy to think that the dolan twins, james charles and emma chamberlain once were in a friend circle https://t.co/43KTCA4okP pic.twitter.com/0JhGsGrrWH
— санчоус (@eternalharuu) October 6, 2026
The admirer said she had initially wondered whether the chance meeting was part of a reunion surprise. She imagined Ethan and Grayson Dolan emerging to join Chamberlain and Charles, recreating the four-person lineup familiar to longtime YouTube viewers. That hope prompted a question about the twins' whereabouts.
'I wish I knew,' Chamberlain answered, according to the fan, who described their conversation in a separate video. When asked whether the Sister Squad was getting back together, Chamberlain reportedly responded with the Santa Claus joke. Neither response was a formal announcement about the group's future.
The videos documented the fan's chance encounter with Chamberlain, rather than a reunion between Chamberlain and Charles. The fan's first clip showed Chamberlain acknowledging the Sister Squad name, while the comments about the twins and Santa Claus came from the later retelling. The fan's videos provided no evidence of a reunion involving all four creators.
The Sister Squad's YouTube History
a chronically online girl explains Sister Squad lore (& why it ended) https://t.co/9Gx1kjbmgH via @YouTube pic.twitter.com/Bg8QPcqzSo
— Nikki Nasty (@nicolerafiee) November 21, 2023
Chamberlain, Charles and the Dolan twins became an online group in 2018 through joint videos about travel, fashion and makeup. Their projects included makeovers and a trip to Las Vegas, with the creators regularly appearing on each other's channels. The Sister Squad was subsequently named a finalist for YouTube Ensemble at the 11th Annual Shorty Awards.
The group's collaborations ended after 2018, and speculation about the friendships intensified during Charles's 2019 dispute with beauty creator Tati Westbrook. However, Chamberlain's brief conversation in New York did not establish why the friendships changed or whether the four remain in contact. She has not publicly announced plans to revive the original lineup.
Chamberlain has since moved into fashion and business, founding Chamberlain Coffee and serving as a red-carpet correspondent at the 2026 Met Gala. She attended that event wearing a custom Mugler creation, while Charles now operates his own beauty label, Painted. The surprise interaction brought their shared YouTube past into the present, but offered no confirmed reunion date.
